“The greatest risk isn’t that machines will begin to think like humans, but that humans will forget how to think without machines”*
Albert Einstein
Through the passage of time, man has used technology as a tool to one-up on his physically superior counterparts. Sure, he did not posess the raw speed of a fierce leopard or the brute strength of a gorilla, but he could fashion tools and use his cognitive power to help devise smart tactics to survive. From knapping crude stone into deadly points, to fashioning lightning itself into flame, our ancestors’ ingenuity birthed a arsenal of survival. They—we—transformed bits of earth and wood into extensions of will, crafting weapons that could pierce hide and snare prey, turning mere opposable thumbs into the architects of domination
You gotta hand it to us — for all our knack for self-sabotage, man is nothing if not irritatingly resilient.
Computation Machines : The Meta-tools
After man started tinkering with computation devices, Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine is widely considered the grand-pappy of computers , the same devices that we have shrunk to the size of our palms and cannot live without these days.
Histroy of Man’s Computational Prowess
3000 BCE
The Abacus
Earliest known mechanical counting device, originating in Babylonia and later adopted throughout ancient civilizations.
150-100 BCE
Antikythera Mechanism
Ancient Greek analog computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses.
1642
Pascal’s Calculator
The first mechanical calculator capable of performing automatic arithmetic operations, invented by Blaise Pascal.
1804
Jacquard’s Programmable Loom
First use of punched cards to control a machine, pioneering the concept of programmable devices.
1837
Analytical Engine
Charles Babbage designs the first general-purpose computer, featuring programmable operations and memory storage.
1936
Turing Machine
Alan Turing introduces the theoretical foundation of modern computer science with his universal computing machine concept.
1945
ENIAC
First general-purpose electronic computer, marking the beginning of the modern computer age.
1947
Invention of the Transistor
Bell Labs creates the transistor, revolutionizing electronics and enabling the development of smaller computers.
1971
First Microprocessor
Intel introduces the 4004, the first commercial microprocessor, launching the era of personal computing.
1981
Personal Computer Era
IBM PC launches, standardizing personal computing and starting the modern PC industry.
1991
World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee creates the World Wide Web, revolutionizing information sharing and communication.
2006
Cloud Computing
Amazon launches AWS, pioneering modern cloud computing and transforming how we use computing resources.
2011
Quantum Computing Begins
D-Wave Systems creates the first commercial quantum computer, marking the start of the quantum computing era.
2022
AI Revolution
Large language models and AI systems achieve unprecedented capabilities, transforming human-computer interaction.
Isn’t it weird how we got so far in so little time. Yet when we zoom in at a microcosm of any human group, all you see when you zoom in is a bunch of drooling dullards., incapable of an independent strand of thought.
